Dancing with Feeling
by saturnbug
Summary: Wally and Kuki have a ballroom dancing class together, will this be his chance to finally confess how he feels? Or will he be dancing alone? 3/4 2/5 1/362
1. Teach Me

**The first chapter has a lot of intro but I promise this story will be good. It'll most likely be 5/6 chapters. Stick with it and I swear it won't disappoint!**

**Read and Review! I love to hear suggestions and feedback, even if it's just a "You suck!" or an "I love Wally! 3"**

**Disclaimer: I don't own KND because if I did there'd be way less action and way more romance and everyone would hate it except me. xD**

Lots of things have changed about Kids Next Door over the last 4 years. Since they're 15, and no longer children, they had to leave KND. Fortunately, Numbuhs 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and their former Supreme Leader 362 were all accepted into the TND, so that they may continue defending kids worldwide.

Numbuh 1 came back from the Galactic KND when he was 13, and Numbuh 362 (or Rachel, as most of them now call her) have been dating ever since. They're a really cute couple actually. Nigel is much taller now, but otherwise the same. Still bald, still in his red shirts and khakis, and still a workaholic. Rachel is just a bit shorter than Nigel, has soft blond hair that reaches down to her shoulders, and always wears blue jeans with an orange tiger-patterned t-shirt, with an aqua longsleeve shirt underneath. But she's still the same strong leader and loyal friend she's always been.

Numbuh 5 is pretty different looking as well. Of course she never goes anywhere without her red hat, but she now wears denim shorts with a dark blue tank top with a white stripe down the side. She also wears her hair in a ponytail instead, revealing her thick curly hair. But she's just as calm, cool, and collected as always. Except now, under that calm, cool, exterior, lies a warm flame of love for a certain someone. None other, than her corny awkwardly nerdy friend, Hoagie P. Gilligan.

He's certainly thinned out over the years. Turned into quite the handsome nerd. No longer does he wear his pilot's cap, instead he just keeps his yellow goggles on. He wears a light blue button down over a white undershirt and tan pants. Still the same loving personality, and still the same affections for one Abigail Lincoln.

Numbuh 3 is as cute as ever, cheery, loving, and beautiful. She wears more form-fitting longsleeved t-shirts now, to reveal a slender girly figure, and a purple skirt to match. With long shiny raven hair and glittering violet eyes, how could she not capture the heart of beloved tough-guy Wallabee Beatles?

Still hiding his deep-rooted love for her, it's enough to make anyone scream. He still pretends to hate things lovey-dovey and girly, to try and hide his feelings, which is exactly why his mother is driving him to ballroom dancing class.

"Ma, dun' make me go, I dun' wanna be stuck in a room with a bunch o' cruddy girls! I'll die in there!" Wally slouched in the passenger seat of the car. This was going to be the worst hour of his life.  
"With that kind of attitude you'll never find yourself a girlfriend."  
"I don't want a cruddy girlfriend!" he lashed back at her.  
"Again, with the anger, I don't know what kind of girl would put up with it. This is exactly why you have to take these classes! Get in touch with your feminine side!"  
"I'm a guy, ma, I don't have a feminine side!"  
"Okay, we're here Wallaboo! Now be good for the instructor."  
"Whatever," he slammed the door behind him. He knew he was acting bratty. But he just wanted to be in the treehouse with his friends.

With that he entered the building where he'd be stuck dancing with a class of dumb girls for the next hour. He did notice a few guys, but only like 3. Or is it 5? Wally was never really good at math.

"Hi Wally, what are you doing here?" Wally spun around, only do see the subject of his fantasies for the last 7 years, Kuki Sanban.

"Oh hey there Kooks. My ma made me come here. You here to dance and stuff?"  
"Yeah I thought it'd be really fun! It'll be even better now that we can do it together!"  
That made Wally blush. "Uhh, yeah cool." he managed to say.

"WALLY!" some obnoxious girl interrupted. Wally turned around to see Sally, staring at him in awe.  
"I never expected YOU to be here." Wally hated Sally with a passion. She has an embarrassing crush on him and she tells all her friends how they have the perfect couple name. 'Sally & Wally'! It's doesn't even rhyme, how stupid.

Speaking of stupid, Wally spied over her shoulder to see Kuki chatting with Pierre, the handsome french exchange student. At that moment, their grouchy dance instructor decides to make an entrance, screaming "Okay guys, partner up! We need to start fast so don't waste me time!"  
Sally squeals at him "Wally! Let's be partners!"

"No. Bye." He starts to make his way towards Pierre and Kuki, where he can see her giggling at something he said.

"So my darling flower, will you do me the honor of letting me dance with an angel?" Pierre said as he took her hand. Wally felt like puking. What a phony. No way he was going to let Kuki dance with a creep like that!  
"Back off french fry! Kuki promised she'd be my partner."  
"Sorry Pierre, maybe another time!" Kuki said with a sympathizing smile.  
"Don't worry, I love a girl who can honor her commitments." He shot Wally a pretentious glare before he walked away.

"SHUT UP!" the teacher yelled. "I only have 5 classes to prepare you pimply teenagers for the junior ball!"  
"What's so great about a cruddy ball?" Wally soon regretted asking that.  
"WHAT'S SO GREAT IS THAT THERE ARE VERY IMPORTANT PEOPLE THERE CRITIQUING MY STUDENTS AND I DON'T WANT TO RUIN MY PERFECT REPUTATION!"  
She cleared her throat and continued. "So everyone will have assignments to practice during the week. this week we're working on footwork. By the end of this week I want you to have these steps ENGRAVED INTO YOUR SKULL. Got it? Now let's get moving."

Wallabee quickly moves himself to the back of the class and sways from side to side while everyone else tries to copy the instructors footwork. He stares at Kuki gliding her feet from one step to the next. He thinks "_She looks so happy when she dances. Maybe this won't be too bad, I can always watch Kuki smile if I feel like I'm dying from boredification. She's so graceful. How am I suppose to keep up with that. Ugh, I'm going to make an idiot out of myself and she'll wish she picked Pierre as a partner. At least this nightmare is almost over, "_

"Ooh! That was so fun!" Kuki cheers to him on their walk back to the treehouse.  
"Ugh, are you kidding? That lady seriously expects of to remember all that crud?"  
"It'll be just like your combat moves Wally! Except instead of hurting people, you twirl them around the dance floor! It might even be useful for TND!"  
"Kooks, it's not fighting is you don't get to hurt someone." Wally sees something jump into the bushes out of the corner of his eye. Something the looked like a blur of light blue.  
"Did you see that?"  
"See what?" Kuki stared at him.  
"Um. Nothing I guess. Nevermind."  
"Okay! So Wally, when we get to the treehouse you want to practice our new steps together?"  
"No way! Dancing for an hour with Miss Anger Management is bad enough."  
"But you said you'd be my partner! And she told us to practice." "Well I ain't doin' any cruddy dancing with anyone." "_To be honest,_" Wally thought, "_I really wouldn't mind practicing with her. But what about the other operatives? They can't know about my dance class."_  
"You can be so mean sometimes! Pierre would've practiced with me."  
"Pierre is a fake, he just likes ya 'cause you're pretty."  
"What did you just say?" Kuki questioned. "_Did he just say he thinks I'm pretty? Awe! That's so sweet."_  
"Uhm, I said he likes ya cause of your kitty." "_Nice one, now she thinks your mean and weird."_  
"Oh, okay. But I don't have a cat." "_Wally can be so weird sometimes."_

When they arrived at the treehouse, Kuki was still a little upset with Wally for not wanting to practice with her, but she knows Wally isn't into that kind of stuff, and she's not going to try and force him to be any other way.

Nigel questioned as they walked in the door "How was your ballroom dance lesson Numbuh 3?"  
Kuki jumped excitedly "It was so FUN! I can't wait for next week."  
"Whatta bout you Numbuh 4?" said Hoagie "How was your combat training class?"  
"Fine." Wally plopped down into the couch and turned on his favorite show 'Car Vs. Brickwall!" He needed some mindless violence to help him think.

Later that night he finds himself ringing the bell in front of Numbuh 3's room. She only has a curtain for a door, so they hung a cowbell that people could ring instead of knocking.  
"Come in!"  
"Uh, hey Kuki. I was thinking, maybe we can practice sometime." He saw her eyes light up with glee. He knew it'd be worth it.  
"Really Wally? You mean it?"  
He tried to put on his 'serious face' but he knew it wouldn't phase though Kuki. "But only at night, in my room, with the door locked, where nobody can ever see or hear us. Nobody can know I'm in a dance class! Especially Hoagie!"  
"Awe thank you Wally! We'll have so much fun!" She wrapped her arms around him and hugged him with all her might. He was so tall she could no longer pick him up like she use to.  
"How did I become so easy?" he said to himself as he lightly hugged her back.  
As she released him she smiled up at him and said "Goodnight Wally! I'll see you at breakfast!" "Yeah, g'night Kooks" he smiled back as he walked out the door.

The next night as Wally was getting ready for bed he her someone knocking at his door. There he found his raven-haired beauty, all chipper and ready for practice.  
"Do we really need to start just now? I'm tired."  
"That's why I brought soda silly! We're gonna need the sugar."  
"I think you don't need sugar."  
"And I think you need all the practice you can get."  
"I could be good if I felt like it!"  
"Prove it." she stepped towards me challengingly, looking up at me with a confidant look on her face.  
I looked down at her, with our faces only inches apart, in the same confidant manner. "Just show me the cruddy steps."

**Please R&R, I'll love you for it.**


	2. Forgive Me

After a lot of stepped on feet and bruised toes they finally called it a night and Kuki returned to her bedroom. They practiced each night until Wally finally had those steps "ENGRAVED INTO HIS SKULL!" Whether either of them wanted to admit it, they were kind of scared of their dance instructor. But they were so prepared they were positive she'd be pleased when they arrived at their next lesson.

"YOU GUYS ARE PATHETIC! I'VE NEVER SEEN SUCH DYSFUNCTION IN MY LIFE!" Her face was red and swollen, eyes flaming with anger and disappointment. "Except for you Pierre darling, you're the perfect prince. Now I want you to try again and I want you all to be HANDSOME PRINCES AND PRETTY PRINCESSES!"  
"Can you believe this lady? She's mental!" Wally whispered to his giggling partner.  
"I can hear you Wallabee. Now how about you stop flirting and start listening!" Wally grimaced to hide his blushing cheeks as the class laughed at him.

"Okay now this week I want to start with the arms. This part is simple. Even you guys can't mess this up. Everyone face your partners." Wally and Kuki followed her instructions.  
"Now men, take your partner's right hand "  
Wally took her hand. He could already feel his the sweat from his palms.  
"Good, now place your other hand on the small of their back."  
He placed his hand lightly on the small of her back.  
"Perfect. Now ladies just take your free hand and drape it over your partners shoulder."  
Kuki did so and looked up at Wally with a glimmer in her eye as if they'd just accomplished something really special together. "_I love how she can make the stupidest things special. And I love when she looks up at me like that. Makes me feel so..._"  
The instructor takes her man-arms and pushes Wally and Kuki closer together. "You have to atleast LOOK intimate. This is a dance that has been used to express passion between lovers for centuries and you guys are making it look like two teenagers with a crush at their 6th grade dance!" Wally's face blushed bright crimson, while Kuki just looked up at him and smiled, seemingly unaffected by the instructors embarrassing words."_He's so cute when he's embarrassed. I love how it feels to be in his arms. I wish he'd hold me like this more often."_

"Okay guys, that's enough for today. Remember, practice practice practice!" he broke apart from Kuki immediately and headed towards the door. He felt kind of bad for leaving like that, so he decided to wait for her at the front door. Someone tapped him on the shoulder, but to his disfortune, it was just Sally.

"Hey Wally. I saw you and Kuki dancing today. I think I'd make a much better partner."  
"Whaddaya mean? I never dance with you in a buhmillion years." He went back to staring into space, hoping that'd shut her up.  
"But you look so awkward with her. I'd make you feel way more comfortable." She stroked her hand down his chest suggestively.  
"Go away, I'm not changing partners."  
"You must like her then!"  
"What? No way! Why would you say that?" Wally stammers back at her.  
Kuki steps out of hiding with tears in her eyes. "You mean that Wally? You don't like me?" She cries off into the distance as she runs away.  
"LOOK WHAT YOU DID YOU CRUDDY GIRL! STAY AWAY FROM ME!" Wally screamed at her before he ran after Kuki.  
But Sally looked quite pleased with herself.

When Wally makes it back to the treehouse, he runs up to Hoagie and ask "Do you know where Kuki is?" Hoagie looked up from his videogame with a smile that just screams "I know something you don't want me to!"  
"I thought you would know, after all, you are in the same BALLROOM DANCE CLASS!"  
"What? I'm not in her cruddy girl class. I'm taking combat! I told ya!"  
"That's not what I heard when you guys were walking home last week!" Hoagie smiled.  
"You were that thing in the bushes? What the crud were you doing in there!" Wally yelled, obviously really angry that Hoagie knew his secret.  
"Um, I was picking up a quarter. Anyway! You gonna tell Kuki you like her?"  
"Huh? No! I can't! We're just like, yeah." Wally deeply regrets telling Hoagie he ever had a crush on her in 7th grade. Since then he's always trying to get him to hook up with her.

-  
_Flashback_

"_Mhhhhmmmmm!"_  
_Hoagie was awoken by the sounds of Wally moaning into his pillow at night._  
"_Uh, Numbuh 4, you okay over there?"  
"Mhhm, I love you." "Uh, yeah, what's wrong with you Numbuh 4?"_  
"_You're the most beautifulest girl in the entire universe, how could I not love you."_  
"_Okay, now I know you're not talking about me. Dude, you're talking in your sleep!"_  
"_Mhm, you make me so happy Kooks."_  
"_Wha? Kooks? WHOA! Numbuh 5 was right, he does love Numbuh 3!"_

_Wally was terrorized plenty for his dream in the morning, complete with mocking kissy faces from Hoagie._

"Whatever dude. But she totally loves you."  
"She loves everyone Hoagie. Let's just drop it okay? I wanna play Xtreme Destroyer 7"  
Hoagie just sighed in disappointment at his one-billionth attempt to convince him. Wally is so oblivious sometimes.

Hours later Kuki returns to the treehouse, walking straight into her bedroom. Wally notices and goes after her.  
"Where were you? I went after you but you disapeared?"  
She turned away from him. "With Pierre."  
"That jerk isn't your partner, I am! I would of practiced with you!"  
"Why would you want to practice with someone you don't like?"  
"What? Of course I like you."  
"That's not what you told Sally. Pierre said you only said that to impress her. Well if you like her so much then she should be your partner!" Wally grabbed her by the arm and pull her back towards him. She looked up at his face this time, though she was still angry.  
"Kuki, I only said that because I wanted her to get out of my face. If I said I liked you, she would've been weird about it. Okay?"  
Kuki didn't look pleased. She wasn't angry anymore though, so he could tell that it was helping. He took a big breath to relax himself, but it only made him more nervous.  
"K-kooks. We've been operatives together forever. If I didn't like you, I wouldn't have wanted you to color with me when we were 5. I wouldn't have let you ride my trike when we were 6. I would have never let you talk me into playing rainbow monkey's when we were 7. I wouldn't have gone to your pool-party when we were 8. I wouldn't have taught you how to fight when we were 9. I wouldn't have dressed up in that Mr. Hugglekins outfit when we were 10. I wouldn't have saved you from "King Sandy" when we were 11, I wouldn't have asked you to help me study when we were 12, I wouldn't of punched that jerk you dated when we were 13, I wouldn't of gone to you after me and Hoagie had a fight when we were 14, and I wouldn't be your dance partner right now. I know, sometimes, I'm a jerk, but it's through those little moments that I show you I care. You're my best friend Kooks." Wally put his head down and waited for her reply.  
"Okay Wally. Just promise you'll try to be less mean? It hurts my feelings when you say that stuff." She looked up at him with that bright smile of hers. That bright gorgeous smile that told him that all was forgiven, and that no matter what, everything is going to be okay.

The next day Hoagie finds him in his bedroom.  
"I have to talk to you." Gilligan had a look of absolute seriousness on his face. It was strangely out of character for him.  
"If it's about Kuki I'm leaving." Wally threatened.  
"No, it's about me and Abby!" "What happened? Did you tell her?" Wally was suddenly very interested.  
"Uh, kind of."  
"Whaddaya mean kinda? You tell her or you don't!"  
"I didn't as much tell her as much as I...kissed her."  
"WHAAT? How can you kiss her! You dun' even know if she likes ya!" "I didn't KNOW! It was an accident!" "Kisses aren't accidents! What did she say?" "Nothin, I didn't talk to her about it yet."  
"WHY?" Wally yelled. He was getting really impatient, he had no idea how something like this could've happened.  
"I just got excited! And like. I like her like a lot. And she was so quiet and pretty."  
"Well then ya gotta talk to her! I'm confused just listenin' to ya, imagine how she feels."  
"Ugh I know. Wanna play Xtreme Destroyer 7?"  
"Sure mate."

Meanwhile, the girls are chatting as well.  
"Girl, he's so crazy about you it's painful to hear about." Abby says to Kuki, never looking up from her magazine all the while.  
"No way! That'd be silly. He was super-duper sweet though, and he said that I was his bestest besty best friend ever!" Kuki jumped out of her seat and twirled and pranced around the room. Abby thought "_If this is what love does to people I'm not sure Abby wants any part of it."_  
Kuki settled down and finally sat next to Abby again. "I do kind of wish he liked me in a more than best friends kind of way, but I'm okay with him just liking me! He can be too sweet sometimes!"  
"If I was you, I woulda told that boy a long time ago how I felt. But it's not my love life we're talkin' 'bout, so do what you please."  
"That reminds me! What's with you and Hoagie lately? I caught you guys on the couch today looking pretty nervous." Kuki asks innocently enough. But by the look on Abby's face she could tell that she was hiding something.

_Flashback_

"_So you sayin' Wally and Kuki are in a dance class together? And they're partners?" Abby asked Hoagie questioningly from the other side of the couch. The pair always watched TV together, but recently they've been too absorbed in their own conversation to pay attention._  
"_Yeah! I heard them when I was walking home with some magazines, didn't want them to see me so I jumped in the bushes. They were talking all about it."  
"What kind of mags did you have?" "Huh?" said Hoagie, caught a little offguard. "Oh just some science fiction, comics, you know."_  
"_You know I know you're lying. Spit it out Hoags."_  
_He loves it when she calls him Hoags. It makes him feel like he's special to her. "Okay. But you can't laugh at me!"_  
"_If I do, it'll be the first funny thing you've ever said." she smiled at him jokingly_  
"_Ha-ha. You're hilarious." he said, dripping with sarcasm. _  
"_Come on Hoags, I won't laugh."_  
"_Fine. It was just a copy of...Rainbowmonkeys-In-Love-Romance-Comics."  
She broke her promise and doubled over in her seat laughing "You gotta be kiddin' me! all that romantic rainbowmonkey stuff just makes everyone cornballs!"_  
"_It is not corny! It taught me how to be romantic."_  
"_This coming from the king of cliches."_  
"_This reminds me of a scene from the last issue I read." Hoagie thought aloud.  
"Really? Dare I ask what happened?" She didn't really care about what happened, but she did like to listen to Hoagie get excited about stupid stuff. "It's actually really romantic. Well, the music-is-super-duper-fun rainbowmonkey finds playtime-in-the-sky rainbowmonkey's collection of romance movies, so she laughs at him and she says "Oh that must be why you're so cheesy." She could see that Numbuh 2 was really getting into this. It made her smile._  
_And playtime-in-the-sky rainbow monkey says "They taught me how to show you that I care! Why can't you see that I do all this because I love you!" Even though Abby knew he was just telling her what happened in the story, he said the words with such passion it sounded like he was trying to tell her that he loved her._  
"_Then he takes her hands," Hoagie gripped Abby by the hands._  
"_pulls her close," He pulled Abby closer to him, so she was right against his chest._  
"_and kisses her right on the lips!" Hoagie, simply too caught up in the story to think twice, kissed her on the lips with the same passion he imagined when he was reading. Abby pulls away from him, and before either of them can process what just happened, they hear someone skipping in the room yelling "Hey guys! What's going on!"_  
_Hoagie responds "Hi Kuki, I was just leaving."_

This leaves Abby only more confused. Which is why when Kuki asks what happened between them, she lies. 

**Big Kuki hugs for anyone who reviews! 3**

**A/N : I feel as if I'm making the guys too much "I love you!" and the girls too much "I'm mad at you." Let me know what you'd like me to improve.**  
**A/N: I got the "Rainbowmonkeys-in-love-romance-comics" thing from Operation I.T., where Numbuh 5 teases him for reading them.**


	3. Consol Me

**Thank you for all the kind reviews! I appreciate and respond to every single one.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own KND, only the fluff fantasies I create using their characters.**

Now that Kuki was sure that Wally cared about her in the "best friends" kind of way, it finally allowed them to spend time together without Wally acting mean for what seemed like, no reason at all.

Hoagie has suddenly taken a great interest in his new project and Abby outside constantly claiming the treehouse is "too stuffy and humid. Abby needs some air." Their stubborn avoidance of one another is sure only to intensify a long awaited confession.

Nigel, oblivious to the lover's escapades, has been helping out at TND headquarters, located underneath the surface of the moon. Though it's pretty obvious to everyone that it isn't purely business.

Though, not all love is as sweet and innocent at those of these operatives. Sally and Pierre's affection towards the charming pair, Kuki and Wally, only grow by the day. And they are willing to go through any means, to win over their hearts.

"Excuse us Misses Dance Instructor, could we please have a word with you?" Sally said, plastering on her best delightfully-innocent smile on her face, that she always used when trying to convince someone to give her was she wanted.  
The instructor finished packing her duffel bag, slung it around her shoulder and faced the two politely grinning teens. "Sure, what is it?"  
"Mon cheri Mademoiselle! We are afraid that a certain pair in our dance class is bound to ruin your sparkling reputation at the Junior Ball!" Pierre said, exaggerating his French accent in the most obnoxious way possible, knowing that the teacher had a liking for his foreign charms.  
"Who are you talking about? How dare they try to embarrass me."  
"It's Kuki Sanban and Wally, they just treat the whole class like it's a joke! You must see them giggling and joking during your lessons. It's disrespectful to you and your years of experience."  
"This can't be tolerated. I'll have to pair them up with someone who can show them how serious ballroom dancing really is." She paused for a second, thinking over her options. Suddenly she sparked up, thinking up the best solution "Hey! You don't think you two would mind if-"  
"We'd love to." the ex-partners said in unison, an evil grin creeping on their faces.

"What a coincidence that you two ended up in the same dance class! I told Wallaboo that he'd end up enjoying it." Wally's mom declared as she drove an embarrassed Wally and giggling Kuki off the the dance studio.  
"Ma, you said you wouldn't call me that around my friends!" Wally pleaded.  
"Well, it's not like she's your girlfriend or anything." she said, reverting her attention back to Kuki. "He use to have the cutest crush on you when he was a kid. He'd draw these adorable crayon pictures of you, and say your name when he slept, oh, and he made up this song that went like-"  
"MA!" screamed Wally, hiding his face in his hands in complete mortification.  
"Don't loose your dungaroos, we're at your dance class already."  
"It was nice meeting you Mrs. Beetles!" said Kuki with a smile as she opened the car door. "Oh you can call me Kanga darling, it was a pleasure meeting you! Eh-hem. Wally aren't you forgetting something."  
Wally groaned. He leaned back and gave his mom a quick peck on the cheek before dashing out the car, slamming the door behind him.  
I guess you could call it mother's intuition, because after he left she smiled to herself "Awe, my little Wallaboo's in love."

"Kuki, Wally, I'm giving you new partners."  
"What the crud? Nobody else needs new partners!" Wally exclaimed.  
"NOBODY ELSE IN THIS CLASS IS TREATING MY CLASS LIKE A JOKE! SO SHUT UP AND LISTEN! Kuki, pair up with Pierre. Wally, you get Sally. Hopefully they can teach you how to TAKE BALL ROOM DANCING SERIOUSLY!"  
Wally only groaned, giving a parting gaze towards a sighing Kuki as they joined their designated partners.  
"Now that that's done with, let's get on with the lesson. This class will be focus on some more complicated movements, so keep up. By the end of today, I want you all to be pros in the basics of twirling, spinning, and lifting your partners into the air!"  
Wally couldn't have been more tortured during the lesson. He didn't even want to touch that scum of a girl Sally, never mind dance with her. "_And Pierre is prolly hittin' on Kooks right now. I bet Mistah Poet has somethin' to do with her changin' my partner."_

Kuki liked Pierre, he was really nice to her, and always said the sweetest things when they were together. But even though he was a really charming friend, he wasn't much fun! And, she thought with a sigh. "_He isn't Wally."_  
"My lily flower, is everything okay? You haven't been paying any attention to the words of affection I've been showering you with." Pierre said as kindly as he could, but he couldn't hide the arrogance beneath his words.  
"Oh, no, you're a great dance partner Pierre, and you're really sweet. But maybe you could tone down the compliments a bit?" Kuki kindly asked as Pierre twirled her to the point of nausea.  
"What! Are you trying to me push away my darling? This is no masquerade, I dare not hide the way I feel under a cloak of shame like most men! I love you, my faltering willow tree! Why won't you say you love me in return!" He said, lifting his obsession into the air, his strong arms supporting her dainty figure effortlessly.  
"Because I don't love you Pierre."  
Ego bruised and heart broken, he returned her to the ground and didn't say another word.

"Why won't you twirl me Wally?" nagged Sally. Wally and her were in the dancing position, shifting from side to side awkwardly. She enjoyed being this close to the crush-worthy blond, but she was expecting this to be a little more...romantic!  
"Because I dun' feel like it." He was tempted to give her a blunt 'I hate you' but Kuki kept telling him to stop being so harsh with people he didn't like.  
She looked over at Pierre and Kuki, sighing as he gallantly wisked her into the air, and twirled her into infinity. She wished Wally was like that. But she would always be second-best to the Japanese beauty. "_Not as pretty as me, of course, but whatever."_ Sally thought to herself.  
"You know, if we started dancing really close and stuff we could make your Kuki friend really jealous. Maybe she'd back off Pierre a bit." "I'd never do that to Kooks." he replied immediately as he spun the jealous diva even farther away from him.

Wally returned to the treehouse in a rage. "_Not only did I have to cruddy dance with that cruddy girl but now Kuki's gonna fall in love with that cruddy French piece of crud. Cruddy teacher, cruddy France, cruddy LIFE!" _he thought as he punched into the wall.  
"Whoa, bad day?" said a confused Hoagie, while stuffing some magazine he was reading into the couch cushions.  
"How'd ya guess?" Wally shot out with sarcasm.  
"I'm guessing you did something wrong with Kuki."  
"I didn't do nuttin'! It's all Pierre and his cruddy dancing, he's her new partner, while I'm stuck with Sally, and now Kuki's gonna be fallin' in love while I vomit to death!"  
"Just chill out Wally. Sit down man."  
"Ugh, fine." Wally plopped down on the couch next to him, and stared at him expectantly.  
"Did she actually say she liked this Peter guy?"  
Wally thought. "No..."  
"Then you're really just being paranoid. You know Kuki's not the type to just fall in love overnight, unless it's like a rainbowmonkey or something."  
Wally sighed. Hoagie sounded so rational sometimes. He was really lucky to have him as a best friend. Wally was kind of dense, and Hoagie always helped him make the right decision. Usually accompanying his words of wisdom with some good humor and teasing. After all, he was Hoagie, and he could never pass up a chance to make someone laugh.  
"So what should I do about it?"  
"I think you should tell her how you feel."  
"No way."  
"?" Hoagie stuck out his lower lip and made his best puppy-dog eyes at him.  
"NO!"  
"Oh come on, that always works when Kuki does it."  
"I'll kill you."  
"You know you'd never do that."  
"I wouldn't be too sure about that." Wally said, smiling back at his best friend. Hoagie knew that it was his was his way of saying 'You're my best friend ever, and I don't know what I'd do without you.'

Abby was sitting on the balcony, staring up at the night sky. She was remembering how that kiss with Hoagie made her insides glitter like the stars. "_Abby's gotta stop thinkin' like that. Cheesiness must be contagious."_  
Behind her was the quirky boy that was on her mind, staring at her stare at the stars. "_I have to say something. If we don't become friends again then there's absolutely no chance she'll ever like me."_  
"H-hey!" he said, a little too loudly than can be called natural.  
"Wha? Oh, um, uh, hi there Hoags. Whatchu doin' here?" She knew that was the least collected thing she's ever said.  
Hoagie breathed in "We should talk. About uh, a few days ago." He blushed remembering his idiot move that day.  
"Oh, yeah." Abby had been thinking about it. "_Why is Abby making such a big deal outta this? Hoags always gets wrapped up in stuff he likes, all he did was get a bit too excited and...yeah. It's not like he meant anythin romantic by it. How could he? He barely even thinks Abby's a girl."_  
"Honest, it was no big deal. Ya just got excited about your story and jumped the first girl you saw. Unfortunately, that happened to be me." she turned her head and smiled at him, letting him know she was only joking. Glad to have his Abby back, he returned the smile.

Wally had been thinking about what Hoagie said. He honestly didn't see how it could help the situation if she didn't like him back. So he decided to go to Kuki's room and talk to her to see how she feels about switching partners.  
He pulled back the purple curtain in her doorway, only to laugh to himself at the sight of his silly Kuki dancing and twirling around her room with an orange rainbowmonkey.  
"Nice dancin' Kooks." he mocked.  
She stopped dancing and stared back at him, embarrassed, "Well I'd look a lot less silly if I had a partner to dance with." Wally looked down with a sad look on his face. He really did miss dancing with her more than he thought he would.  
Kuki walked forward, stopping in front of him. "I wish we were partners again. I miss practicing with you."  
"I could always been the crud out of Pierre for ya. You take Sally down for me and she'll hafta let us dance again." Kuki laughed.  
"Wally, you're so silly!" She thought to herself for a moment. "I know Wally! Just because we can't dance in class, doesn't mean we can't practice together!" She jumped up and down with excitement waiting for Wally's reply.  
He felt so stupid for not thinking of it before. If he had been just a little less emotional about it than maybe he wouldn't have had to go through so much grief earlier.  
"Um, sure. Let's go to my room and start."

"Awe come on! I'm not that bad! I thought you'd at least find my quirkiness charming, if not surprisingly sexy." he flashed his best confidant smile at her, though she was unfazed.  
"In your dreams, Hoags."  
"Every single night my darling!" he said dramatically. The two of them cracked up, and kept laughing until their chuckles died out into a comfortable both sat up next to each other and looked up at the sky.  
"Wanna know a secret?" said Hoagie childishly.  
"Sure." Abby grinned, still looking up at the sky.  
"I always thought we were like the sky."  
"Whatchu mean flyboy?"  
"Well, you know how dark blue is your favorite color and light blue is mine?"  
"Uh yeah, but that has nuttin to do wit-"  
"Well it's like the sky." Hoagie could feel his inner-awkwardness starting to shine through, but he knew he needed to play this one cool. After all, they'd just made up after his last awkward blunder. "You see, in the day, the sky is light blue. It's kind of bright and joyful and fun, a little like me. And in the night, the sky is dark blue. It's usually really cool outside, and everything is calm and pretty, kinda like you." Hoagie could feel a blush coming on. Luckily the shadows would hide his embarrassment. "And even though day and night are really different, they're still like one thing, ya know?"  
Abby couldn't believe what she was hearing. First, it was the corniest thing Hoagie had ever said to her. And second, it seemed to be so true about them, that she almost believed for a second that day and night sky were made to represent Hoagie and her. Then she realized the flaw in Hoagie's analogy.  
"That might be true Hoags, but what 'bout the sunset?" she asked, staring at him softly. He turned his head and returned her gaze.  
"That's what happens when we're together." he said, with a smart smile on his face. He felt proud of his last-minute clever wit."  
"Then that must be why we're such good friends."  
"Yeah. I thought so too."

**R&R please! 3**


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